In the 1970's we hitched the highways and byways of England; during the 1980's cycled-camped here and in France; during the 90's camped with the kids all over southern Europe. In the ten years before we retired we worked like crazy, but managed to travel further afield, to America, Canada Japan, Australia and Hong Kong. Now, having escaped work, we have lots more time but much less money. We have spent the last few years exploring the shores and hinterland of the Mediterranean by motorhome

Saturday, 26 November 2016

Camping Moraira, a conversation about staying put and questions of style and substance.

As I mentioned in the previous post, two of the British couples staying here are planning to rent villas for a month or two during the coldest months. Like a lot of people, one couple had rented their house in the UK to help fund their travels - so from time to time they get a 'bricks and mortar' urge and rent somewhere for a while. That is really quite an exciting thing to do. You might decide to become a temporary citizen of Malaga,Marseilles or Athens, then after the short term lease is up carry on with your travels. I think Gill and I could do that, but I don't think it would be acceptable to our grown-up children. They still think of our house back in Buxton as the family home and their views matter too.

Unlike many sites on the Costa Blanca, Camping Moraira is not a place that people tend to over-winter in. The last time we were here we more or less had the place to ourselves. This time it is a bit busier, but there are still fewer than half a dozen mohos parked-up. It's odd really, because Moraira town seems full of British people, who either own or rent property. Perhaps the 2km walk along the shore to the town centre or the short steep hill up to the site put people off. Also, due to the wooded nature of the site, many of the terraced pitches are not suitable for motorhomes, and those that are seem narrow, so you would struggle to 'spread out' under your awning, or establish an outdoor kitchen like many over-winterers like to do. Added to that access roads are tight. It took a lot of care and crossed-fingers to extricate ourselves from the site when we left.

Stylish reception

Dawn light

Tricky pitches - narrow, with random trees scattered about

The place has good points. It is home to a lively colony of squirrels and has abundant bird life - which is fun to watch. There is a view of the bay giving great sun rises if you are an earlybird. The showers are reliably warm, and each pitch has its own water point and an emptying drain. Then there is the question of the sanitary block doors, which must be said go beyond the category of being memorable and reach the heady heights of the unforgettable. What is certain, is they are utterly unequivocal, there is no way you will ever inadvertently walk into the opposite sex's facilities.

The full panel graphic on the male showers block door is a bit 'Men's Health'.

Conversely the female block door is distinctly Cosmo Badedas ad.

On the other hand, the toilet block doors defy description, what can you say? If the only criteria for good graphic design was clarity of message, then these would be outstanding - a triumph of substance over style...

2 comments:

Rather than renting a villa or apartment, have you considered housesitting? It could provide another way to put down roots for a month or two when on the road. We definitely plan to do this when travelling longer-term in our campervan and have already done a few housesits in the UK in order to build our reputation: https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/gb/